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Goutham M. Menon, PhD, Appointed Dean of the School of Social Work

We are pleased to announce that Goutham M. Menon, PhD, has accepted our offer to become the dean of the School of Social Work, effective July 1, 2017.

Dr. Menon currently serves as director of the School of Social Work at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where he also holds a faculty appointment as professor of social work. With more than 20 years of academic experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, Dr. Menon has taught at The University of Texas at Arlington (1996–98), the University of South Carolina (1998–2005), and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA, 2006–2013). As a practitioner, Dr. Menon served as a case manager at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation in India from 1988–1992. An accomplished scholar, Dr. Menon has authored numerous articles and edited several books. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Technology in Human Services, Social Development Issues, Journal of Social Service Research, and Environment and Social Psychology. Since 2014, he has served as co-PI/PI of federal grants totaling more than $2.3 million.

Under his leadership, the School of Social Work at the University of Nevada, Reno has seen substantial enrollment increases at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as the development of an online Master of Social Work program for underserved students in rural Nevada. Dr. Menon also played an integral role in the initial accreditation and subsequent reaffirmation process of the social work program at UTSA. A trained site visitor for program accreditation, Dr. Menon is currently a commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education, the accreditation body for schools of social work in the United States. He was recently elected vice president and program chair of the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work.

Dr. Menon received a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; a Master of Arts in Social Work from the University of Madras, India; and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Loyola College, an autonomous Jesuit institution of higher education affiliated with the University of Madras. His research interests include the use of information and communication technologies in support of human services and for distance education. Dr. Menon shared with the search committee that the principles for transformative education and the "hungers" highlighted in our University's strategic plan resonate with his vision for current and future faculty, staff, and students within the School of Social Work—especially those who are nontraditional and first-generation and are seeking to lay a sound foundation through an education at a premier university.

We wish to thank the members of the dean search committee and its chair, Patrick Boyle, PhD, vice provost for academic centers and global initiatives, for their work over the past two years. We also want to extend our profound gratitude to Susan Grossman, PhD, who has served as interim dean of the School of Social Work since July 2015. Her leadership, professionalism, and collegiality in service to the school and the University deserve special mention.

Please join us in thanking Dr. Grossman for her commitment to Loyola and in welcoming Dr. Menon into his new role as dean of the School of Social Work.

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdDPresident

John P. Pelissero, PhDProvost and Chief Academic Officer

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